Like the Languedoc, I’ve barely scratched the surface with Austria. I love Nigl Gruner Veltliner and Alois Kracher’s various TBAs, but there’s a whole world of Austrian wines I haven’t explored. Any favorite producers?
Hirsch is probably my favorite Austrian producer, across the full range of Gruners and Rieslings. Really looking forward to the 2007 Riesling Heiligenstein in a few years.
Steve, I think I’ve tasted maybe two to three Austrian Rieslings ever. Style-wise, how do they compare to Germans or Alsatians? I’m sure it varies by producer, but can you generalize to start?
Melissa,
I’ve a few in the cellar, mostly riesling and gruner.
Producers I like alot are Hirtzberger, Nikolaihof, F.X. Pichler, Knoll, Alzinger, Nigl, Brundlmayer, Hirsch, Jamek, Salomon and some of the Prager bottlings. I find them, especially the top vineyards (Ried) to be very long lived.
Let me know if you have any specific questions.
Best, Jim
What Jim wrote. That should keep you busy.
Most definitely toward Alsatian. They do do a more ripe style “federspiel” (has to be at least 17 KMW on the Austrian must-sugar level), but even those have been compared to a “dry kabinett”. There is a even more ripe called “smaragd” but you don’t see a lot of it about.
FWIW, that term is only used in the Wachau. Otherwise its still spatlese.
Best, Jim
I’ve been enjoying the screwcap Nigl Kremser Freiheit for a couple of years now, and although I love the Privat, I haven’t had an aged one yet. I know I’ve seen FX Pichler and Nikolaihof in local stores-- how’s the 2007 vintage?
You should drink with me more often, Melissa. Between the Languedoc and Austria, you’ve asking about wines I open all the time!
I’m a big fan of Bernhard Ott’s wines. Especially “Der Ott”. I had the pleasure of tasting most of the 2007 Gruners last year for the Austrian Wine Council (618 Gruners over 6 days!)
The tasting notes are here: http://www.s-4-c.com/ Look under “Tasting List”.